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“Hi, this is Celine,” I said shakily. “I just wanted to make sure Rose is doing okay.”
“She’s fine,” assured the warm voice on the line. “We’ve just put her down for a nap.”
I sent up a silent prayer of thanks.
“Umm, I just wanted to confirm that you know her father will pick her up this evening, instead of me,” I said.
Thank God for the fact that Brandon’s new girlfriend was the earth mother type with two tween sons. He was still trying to impress her, and I was happy to use his good father act to my advantage right now.
He was taking Rose for the weekend after ages because his girlfriend wanted them to spend some time together, and after what just happened, I couldn’t be more grateful. I had to make plans to go into hiding until this blew over, and I needed the space and alone time to think clearly.
I had no family here, and I couldn’t go to my friends because Arjun was capable of hurting them to get to me. It was time to do what I’d been planning to do for ages. It was time to move to Vegas. I was one of the best dancers at The Red Room, and Bo, the owner of the club, had contacts in Vegas. Rose and I could move to Vegas under a new name. It was a huge city. Arjun would never find me.
I was still trembling as I began to clean up the mess that his men had made. Why the hell they felt the need to rip my house apart I’d never know. It wasn’t as if they expected to find Tia under my bed. It was just a show of brute strength, I decided.
I made myself a cup of coffee and began to look up strip clubs in Vegas. The good thing was there were thousands of them. The bad thing was that the competition looked tough. I set my cookie down with a sigh. If I wanted to be a stripper in Vegas, I’d have to say goodbye to cookies and ice cream forever.
I wasn’t young anymore. These girls looked like they were in their early twenties, all fresh-faced, lean, and with no hint of cellulite marring their smooth skins. I was thirty-three, and a mom with a cookie addiction. What chance did I stand against these young girls?
Maybe I was overreacting. This would blow over soon, right? It had to! I thought of calling the cops but I was worried about what Arjun might do in retaliation. Besides, the guy Tia was running away from was a mobster. I didn’t want any trouble with the mob. I just had to lie low for a while.
I got out of the house to run some errands because the walls were closing in on me. I had plans for this weekend. And none of them involved hiding from the mob. I wanted a night out with my girls, and maybe a date with someone I met on said night out with my girls.
It had been ages since I’d had sex. Nineteen months, to be precise. The last man I’d slept with was Brandon, in a last-ditch effort to repair our relationship. But it hadn’t worked, and I had left him a week later. Which made it all the more embarrassing when I had to call him to tell him I was pregnant with his baby. He spent all of five minutes trying to get back with me, but when he realized that I wasn’t going to give up my job as a stripper and turn into a suburban mom, Brandon blocked my number until he needed Rose to impress his new girlfriend.
I delivered my baby alone and I raised her by myself, which left me no time for dating or even the occasional hook-up. But tonight was supposed to be my night. I was so sure I was going to meet someone at the bar and I’d hook up with him after partying with my friends. And now, thanks to Arjun-fucking-Monani, I had to bail on my first girl’s night in ages because I kept looking over my shoulder to see if he was following me.
I was putting away my groceries when my phone rang. I picked it up hesitantly, not wanting to go another round with Arjun. But it was Tia! Why was she calling me on Messenger?
I tried to put on a brave face, but tears sprang to my eyes as I answered the call. Tia picked up on it immediately.
“Celine! What’s wrong?”
“Are you safe, Tia?” I asked because her situation was way more dire than mine.
“I’m fine. I just wanted to warn you that my brother might come to your house to look for me.”
“He already did,” I broke in, with a sob.
“Ohmigod! What happened?”
“He was here ten minutes ago. His men turned my apartment upside down looking for you, and Arjun… he… he threatened to hurt Rose if I didn’t tell him where you were”
I didn’t want to burden her with this but I had to tell someone! Tia looked stricken at the news.
“I’m so, so sorry, Celine! Is she okay? What did he do?”
“Rose is fine. She’s at daycare and was going to spend the weekend with Brandon anyway. Arjun didn’t hurt me. He just swaggered around yelling and threatening, and being his usual dickish self. He left after he realized that I had nothing to tell him, although I have a feeling he’s going to keep coming back to check if you’ve been in touch with me. I’m going to lie low for a bit and ask Brandon to keep Rose until this blows over. She’s safer at his place than mine. But tell me, did you get away safely? I’m so glad you didn’t go through with it, honey.”
“I’m perfectly safe for now. But Celine, you’re not safe in your house. Arjun is a monster! I know what he’s capable of doing,” she argued.
“I’ll be fine, Tia. I’ll the cops if I ever see him at my door again,” I insisted.
“Alright,” said Tia, with a heavy sigh. “I’m at…”
“Wait! As long as you’re safe, I don’t want to know where you are, Tia, so that I can truthfully tell Arjun that I know nothing. But are you okay? Do you need anything?”
“I’m good, thanks. But I’ll find a way to get Arjun off your back, I promise, sweetheart. Even if I have to go back home.”
